Flasher



W. HUPPERT FLASHER Filed NOV. 2, 1952*.

INVENTOR.

77 ATTORNT Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHER New York Application November 2, 1932, Serial No. 640,749

5 socket.

An obj ect of this invention is to provide a highly improved miniature flasher of the character described provided with an insulating housing for a screw receptacle and a screw plug attached to the housing, the construction being such that the parts may be readily and easily assembled into a compact, strong and rugged structure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a asher of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, comprise few and simple parts and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

'I'he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and

' of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a flasher device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of the device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, detail crosssectional view of a portion of the thermostatic unit;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the thermostatic unit and connector before assembling in the device; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I designates an electric fitting embodying the invention, here shown for the purpose of illustration only in the form of a minature flasher.

The device IIJ comprises an insulating housing I I having a tubular wall I2 provided with an outwardly flaring rimor mouth portion I3 and a 'rear end wall I4 having a central opening I5. 'I'he wall I4 is provided with a shoulder or 'annular step |4a on the outer surface thereof for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The outer surface of the tubular wall I2 furthermore, is formed with parallel corrugations |2a preferably extending from the mouth portion I3 to the shoulder.

rotatably engages the housing I I.

The corrugations I 2a. may be of any suitable shape to form grooves and ridges whereby the outer surface of said tubular portion I2 is non-circular in transverse cross-section, as shown in Fig. of the drawing.

Within the housing I I is mounted a screw shell 5 I5 for receiving the base of a lamp. Attached to the rear end of the screw shell I 6 is an insulating disc I1 of any suitable construction and preferably provided With a slot I8 for the purpose hereinafter stated.

Attached to the rear end of the housing I I, is a member 20 made of sheet metal and having a screw threaded plug portion 2| adapted to be screwed to a screw threaded socket or receptacle. Extending from the lower end of the portion 2| is a stepped portion 22 engaging the stop I4a of the rear wall I4; and extending from said step portion 22 is a corrugated skirted portion 24 frictionally engaging the corrugated surface I2a of the member I2. Thus the member non- Of course, the member 20 may be pulled off the housing |I and then remounted in another angular position, since the corrugations of the skirted portion 24 are similar to the corrugations |2a.

Seated on the rear or upper end oi the screw threaded portion 2|, is an insulating disc 25 formed with a slot 26 preferably substantially parallel to the slot I3 in the disc I1. It will be 30 noted that the tubular shells 2| and I6 are substantially coaxial and that the slots I8 and 25 are substantially aligned with the opening I5 of said rear wall I4.

A strip of metal or wire 29 may be soldered 35 at one end 30 thereof to the rear end of the shell I2, said strip extending through the opening I5 and being bent over against the rear surface of the wall I4. The outer end 32 of said strip 29 is bent over the step I4a and disposed between said step and the step 22 of the metallic member 2l). 'Ihe shell I6 is thus electrically connected to the screw threaded portion 2| of the mem.- ber 2li.

Interconnecting the insulating discs I1 and 25 is a combination connector and thermostatic unit 35 shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawing. The connector 35 comprises an elongated strip of metal 36 the lower end whereof substantially contacts the disc I'I. The upper end 31 of said strip 36 60 passes through the opening or slot 26 and is bent over the top or upper surface of the disc 25. Said strip 36 is furthermore provided With a contact point 38 adjacent the upper-end thereof and with a hole or opening 39 adjacent the lower end thereof. Fixed to the lower end of the strip 36 is a. thermostatic unit 46 comprising a bi-metallic strip 4 I, the lower end 42 of which extends through the slot I8 in disc I1 and is bent against the under.- side of said disc. Interposed between the lower end of the strip 4I and the lower end of the strip 36 is an insulating washer 43. The bi-metallic strip 4I is furthermore formed with an opening 44., coaxial with the opening 39 in the strip 36, receiving a bushing 45, said bushing passing through the opening in the insulating washer 43. The strip 36, the washer 43, the bushing 45Y and the strip 4I are attached together by a metallic eyeiet or rivet 46. It will thus be noted that the thermostatic bi-metallic strip 4I is insulated from the lower end of the strip 36 by the bushing 45 and washer 43.

Received over the bi-metallic strip 4I is a wrapper or sleeve 50 of asbestos or the like heat resisting material and wound around said sleeve 56 is a heating coil or wire 5I having one end thereof attached to the bi-metallic strip 4I, and the other end 53 thereof attached to the strip 36. The strip 36 may be formed with an inclined slit 54 in one edge thereof to provide a prong 55 bent out of the plane of said strip 36 to form a wedge for receiving the end 53 of the heating wire 5I. In other words, the upper end of the wire 5I maymerely be placed in the wedging groove or slit 54 and pressed downwardly for causing said end of the wire to be firmly attached to the connector strip 36.

It will now be understood that the insulating discs I1 and 25are firmly attached together by means of the connector 3 since the upper end of the strip 3 is bent over the upper disc 25 and the lower end of the thermostatic strip 4I is bent over the lower disc I1. The bent over portion 31 forms a central contact for the plug shell 2| and the 4bent over portion 42 of the bimetallic strip 4I forms a central contact for the' shell I6. The current passes through the central contact 31 to the strip 36 and then through the heating coil or wire 5I to the bi-metallic strip 4I, and hence to the central contact 42. The coil thus becomes heated to cause the contact point 60 on the upper 'end of the strip 4I to Contact the contact point 38 whereby the current is short circuited from the heating coil to permit the strip 4I to bend away from the strip 36, this action being repeated alternately.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which isvwell adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

l. An electric fitting comprising a tubular insulating housing having an end wall at the rear end thereof and being open at the front end thereof, said end wall being formed with a central opening, a lamp base receiving shell within said housing, and a member made of sheet metal having a screw threaded plug portion, a portion abutting the rear end surface of said housing, extending from said plug portion, and a skirted portion extending from said last portion frictionally receiving the rear end portion of said housing, said screw shell and screw threaded plug portion each having an insulating disc at the rear end thereof, a conductor interconnecting said shell with said sheet metal member, and a thermostatic u'nit interconnecting 5 said insulating discs and extending through the opening in said end wall.

2. A flasher comprising a tubular insulating housing, a lamp base receiving screw shell within said housing, said screw shell having an in- 10 sulating disc at the rear end thereof, a member jhaving screw threaded plug portion provided with an insulating disc at the rear end thereof and disposed coaxial with said screw shell, a skirted portion extending from said plug 15 portion receiving the rear end portion of the housing, a conductor interconnecting the screw shell with said plug portion, and a metallic tie strip interconnecting said insulating discs and being the only means for attaching said member 20 to said housing.

3. A flasher comprising a tubular insulating housing having a mouth at the front end thereof, a lamp base receiving screw shell within said housing, a member made of sheet metal having $5 a screw threaded plug portion, a portion extending from said plug portion abutting the rear end of said housing and a skirted portion extending from said last portion receiving the rear end portion of said housing, a conductor inter- 30 connecting said screw shell and said sheet metal member, insulating discs at the rear ends of said screw shell and screw threaded plug portion, and a tie member interconnecting said insulating discs and constituting the sole means for at- 35 taching said sheet metal member to said housing, and having portions forming central contacts for said discs.

4. A flasher comprising a tubular insulating housing having a mouth at the front end there- 40 of. a lamp base receiving screw shell Within said housing, a member made of sheet metal having a screw threaded plug portion, a portion extending from said plug portion abutting the rear end of said housing, and a skirted portion ex- 45 tending from said last portion receiving the rear end portion of said housing, a conductor interconnecting said screw shell with said sheet metal member, insulating discs at the rear ends of said screw shell and screw threaded plug portion, and 60 a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating discs and constituting the sole means for attaching said sheet metal member to said housing, and having portions forming central contacts for said discs. 55

5. An electric fitting comprising a tubular insulating housing having a mouth portion, and an outer surface formed with parallel, longitudinal corrugations, and a metallic member having a screw threaded plug portion, a portion 50 abutting the rear end of said housing, and a skirted portion formed with longitudinal corrugations receiving a portion of the corrugated surface of said housing, a screw shell within said housing and having anv insulating disc at the 05 rear end thereof, an insulating disc at the rear end of said screw threaded plug portion, a conductor strip interconnecting said screw shell with said metallic member, and a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating disc and consti- 70 tuting the sole means for attaching said hous- ,ing to said metallic member.

6. An electric fitting comprising a tubular lnsulating housing having a mouth portion, and an outer surface formed with parallel, longitudinal 75 corrugations, and a metallic member having a. screw threaded plug portion and a skirted portion formed with longitudinal corrugations receiving a portion of the corrugated surface of said housing, a screw shell within said housing and having an insulating disc at the rear end thereof, an insulating disc at the rear end of said screw threaded plug portion, a conductor strip interconnecting said screw shell with said metallic member, and a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating discs, said unit comprising an elongated metallic strip having a portion extending through a slot in said second disc and bent over the rear surface of the latter, a bimetallic thermostatic strip attached at one end thereof to the other end of said first strip and insulated therefrom, said bi-metallic strip having an extension passing through a slot in the rst insulating disc and bent over the underside of the latter, and a heating coil disposed about said bi-metallic strip and having one end thereof contacting said strip and the other end thereof engaging'said first strip.

'7. An electric flasher comprising a tubular insulating housing having a mouth at one end thereof, a lamp base receiving shell within said housing, and a member made of metal having a screw threaded plug portion and a skirted portion extending from said plug portion frictionally receiving the other end of said housing, slotted insulating discs at the rear ends of said screw shell and screw threaded plug portion, a conductor interconnecting said shell with said member, and a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating discs, said unit comprising an elongated strip of metal having one end thereof passing through the disc of said screw threaded plug portion, a bi-metallic thermostatic strip attached at one end thereof to the opposite end of said first strip and insulated therefrom, said bi-metallic strip having an extension passing through the slot of the other insulating disc, a sleeve of heat resisting material disposed about said bi-metallic strip and a heating coil wound around said sleeve and having one end thereof attached to said bimetallic strip, and the other end thereof attached to said rst strip.

8. A flasher comprising a tubular insulating housing having a mouth at one end thereof and 5 formed with a rear end wall at the opposite end thereof, a. lamp base receiving screw shell within said housing, a. member made of sheet metal having a screw threaded plug portion disposed coaxially with respect to said screw shell and abutting the rear end of said insulating housing, insulating discs at the rear end of the said screw shell and at the rear end of said screw threaded plug portion, and a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating discs. l5

9. An electric fitting comprising a tubular insulating housing having an end wall at the rear end thereof and being open at the other end thereof, said end wall being formed with a central opening, a lamp base receiving screw shell within said housing, a member made of sheet metal having a screw threaded plug portion coaxial with said screw shell contacting the rear end of said housing, insulating discs at the housing of said screw shell and screw threaded plug portion, a thermostatic unit interconnecting said insulating discs and extending through the opening in said end Wall, said unit comprising an elongated strip of metal having one end engaging the disc on the screw threaded plug portion, said $0 strip passing through the opening in said end wall, a bi-metallic thermostatic element connected at one end thereof to the opposite end of said strip and being insulated therefrom, said bimetallic element having an extension attached to the insulating disc on said screw shell, the main portion of said bi-metallic element being co-extensive with said metallic strip, cooperating Contact points at the free end of said bi-metallic element and on said metallic strip, and a heating 0 element wound about said bi-metallic element and attached thereto at one end thereof and at the other end thereof to said metallic strip.

WILLIAM HUPPERT. 

